“I’m hearing from people to hold my ground,” said state Sen. Jay O’Brien, a Fairfax County Republican who is against the proposed tax increases. “They don’t want me to back off.
When Sen. O’Brien attended a town meeting on the budget and taxes, the overwhelming sentiment was for higher taxes to pay for needed services. But apparently he didn’t listen to them. Then again, people is just more than one person. So, two people told him to hold the line.
In the same story, listen to Del. Dave Albo (R-Fairfax):
Mr. Albo said he tells his pro-tax constituents that Fairfax County would receive only 24 cents worth of services for every dollar paid in new state taxes.
“That does not make them happy,” Mr. Albo said. “A few have said if that’s the case, they would be better off raising local property taxes. At least we get to keep 100 percent of that money.”
Of course, Dave Albo told a group of citizens last year that he objected to an earlier proposal to increase the sales tax for schools because it would only return 80 cents on the dollar to Fairfax citizens. There’s just no making Dave Albo happy … or trusting him.
And then there is Delegate Richard H. Black (R-Sterling):
[He] said his messages are more than 10-to-1 against higher taxes.
He said he heard from special-interest groups asking for tax increases at the beginning of the budget battle.
“Now there is just absolutely solid consensus here against the tax,” Mr. Black said. “The pro-tax communications have died out completely.”
To my knowledge Black did not call a town meeting to hear from his constituents. But then again, what would be the point. He only listens to the loonies at Patrick Henry College, which states as its educational philosophy that “Christian faith and genuine learning cannot be separated.” I guess Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Sikhs must make do with that fake learning.
Staunton News Leader takes on its delegates.
A deadline that could cost $50 million to miss.
Washington Post monthly columnist Melanie Scarborough frequently states as fact her assumptions or flat out lies. Here’s what she writes in a column yesterday: “Politicians love to promise to reduce class size (although research shows that the teacher, not the classroom size, is the principal determinant for student achievement)….”
That’s so flat out wrong it would be laughable but that The Washington Post lets her get away with it. There is no unanimity about the effectiveness of small classes in improving achievement, but there are studies that have shown smaller classes to be helpful. But even if you read the skeptics (see here, here and here), there is little in the literature to sustain Scarborough’s assertion. She just made it up, apparently ignoring research that doesn’t fit her prejudice.
They’re hunting witches in Loudoun
Less fumes mean more fuming.
Must be something in the water.